A FORMER minister has admitted the last Labour government's "soft-minded liberalism" is to blame for the Calais migrant crisis.

Gordon Brown and Tony Blair have been criticised for introducing Human Rights Bill but not ID cards

Phil Woolas, who served as immigration minister from 2008 until 2010 under ex-Prime Minister Gordon Brown, blamed his party's failure to introduce ID cards while in power and Tony Blair's introduction of the Human Rights Act.

The former MP claimed the latter has made it more difficult for British judges to deport foreigners, who have effectively been given the same legal rights as those of UK citizens.

Calling for the erection of a British-run detention centre in northern France for thousands of migrants looking to make their way across the Channel, he wrote on the Daily Mirror website: "The mess in Calais is down to years of soft-minded liberalism and utter naivety.

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The mess in Calais is down to years of soft-minded liberalism and utter naivety.

Phil Woolas

He added: "Many migrants are fleeing war, but once in France they’re safe.

"Others paid money to people traffickers in the hope of a good life. That’s not political asylum.

"These people want to live in a rich country. This is economic migration.

"As for Calais it’s French territory but our border control. A detention centre to replace the migrant encampments would send a signal.

"If migrants knew they’d be locked up and deported when they got to Calais they wouldn’t go."

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Phil Woolas blames years of 'soft-headed liberalism' for the Calais crisis

Over the weekend, the current Government announced plans to jail landlords who let properties to illegal immigrants as well as to take benefits away from failed asylum seekers.

But Eurotunnel's public affairs director John Keefe warned that although government proposals to make the UK less attractive might work in the long-term, there was still the current crisis to deal with.

He said: "As much as you reinforce security, you might keep them out for one night and then during the daytime they go away and rest but they'll come back again the next night."

Mr Woolas served as MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth for the entire New Labour era under Mr Blair and Mr Brown.

However, he was found to have breached election laws during the 2010 general election and subsequently lost his seat in the House of Commons as well as being suspended from the Labour Party.